TeachingEnglish newsletter 15 November 2017

TeachingEnglish - the global home for teachers 15 November 2017 Welcome to the TeachingEnglish newsletter. This week we have a brand new lesson for kids to mark International Day of the Child on 20 November - 'Children's rights'. For teens we have an interesting lesson on the topic of military exemption, and for adults we have a series of lessons that focus on different aspects of meetings. We are also happy to announce our new blog topics for November/ December - new trends in ELT, using mobile devices, low-level students and learner diaries - and invite you to become a TeachingEnglish blogger. We feature a recorded discussion on the theme of 21st-century/core skills, together with a free brochure for you to download. And, finally, we announce the publication of a new paper that provides a comprehensive overview of the range and type of Master's courses in English language teaching (ELT) currently offered in the UK - ELT master's courses in the UK: students' expectations and experiences. We hope you find these resources useful. Deb TeachingEnglish team Teaching kids The United Nations has declared that 20 November is the International Day of the Child. To help raise awareness of this important issue, this lesson plan is about children's rights. First, pupils are introduced to the concept of 'rights'. Then they study a list of items and decide which ones are 'rights'. Next, they read and share missing information, and finally work in groups to make a booklet. Go to the lesson plan Teaching teens This lesson is about the process men had to go through in order to be excused from military service during the First World War. The role play personalises the events to make them more accessible and to bring the period alive, giving the historical events more meaning. Students will also practise their reading and speaking skills. Go to the lesson plan Teaching adults This lesson, Managing a meeting, is part of a series that focuses on two important aspects of managing a meeting: setting up the meeting with a series of emails, and keeping the meeting under control. Two other important parts of managing a meeting, introducing the meeting and closing the meeting, are covered in Lesson 1 and Lesson 5 Development This paper, ELT master's courses in the UK: students' expectations and experiences, provides a comprehensive overview of the range and type of Master's courses in English language teaching (ELT) currently offered in the UK. It includes the modes, formats and components of courses, as well as identifying the target students for the various programmes. Read more Events In this discussion forum, which took place during the Teaching for Success Online Conference last year, a panel of experts and practitioners discussed what 21st-century skills are and the importance of their integration into learning.  Watch a recording You can also find out more about 21st-century skills/core skills by downloading and reading the brochure  Unlocking a world of potential - core skills for learning, work and society Magazine Our blog topics for November and December 2017 look at new trends in ELT, using mobile devices, low-level students and learner diaries. Which new trends from the world of education or beyond do you think will spread or influence English language teaching and how? Phones off or phones on in class? What are your top tips for teaching very low-level learners? These are just some of the questions we are asking you to post about. Happy blogging! Read more You have received this newsletter because you registered on our website or previously showed interest in British Council news. If you wish to opt out of future newsletters, please unsubscribe here.

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TeachingEnglish newsletter 08 November 2017

TeachingEnglish - the global home for teachers 08 November 2017 Welcome to the TeachingEnglish newsletter. This week we have a new lesson plan for teens to mark Anti-Bullying Week (13-17 November). And for kids, we have a lesson that focuses on friendship and what it means. For adult learners, we have a lesson on the theme of volunteering. This week we also feature a blog post for those of you who may be considering moving into management, and more specifically the director of studies role. We also have recorded excerpts from a seminar with Dr Catherine Walter on how to teach grammar inductively. And finally, a practical and teacher-friendly publication for the many of you around the world who teach large classes - Maximising learning in large classes. We hope you find these resources useful. Deb TeachingEnglish team Teaching kids In this lesson pupils celebrate friendship. First, learners are introduced to the topic of friendship through a simple word game. Then they discuss what it means to be a good friend, and analyse a simple text. They finish by working together to make posters celebrating friendship. Go to the lesson plan Teaching teens The lesson can be used for Anti-Bullying Week (13-17 November) or as a stand-alone lesson. Students will learn about the problem of bullies and how to behave if you are a bystander. Students discuss their own attitudes towards bullying and read two texts. As a further optional activity, students prepare a poster for an anti-bullying campaign. Go to the lesson plan Teaching adults There are currently more than 22 million people in Britain who work as volunteers for many different organisations. In this lesson, students will talk about what is important in a job and read about some unusual voluntary jobs. Students will then read an article about the current situation of volunteering in the UK, and then can go on to take part in a discussion on volunteering and a role play activity. Go to the lesson plan Development Maximising learning in large classes is a very practical and 'teacher-friendly' publication that was produced following a Hornby workshop on teaching large classes in Ethiopia in 2006. The book was put together by the workshop tutors, drawing on the materials and activities generated by the workshop trainers and participants. Part 1 provides an introduction to the issues involved when teaching in large classes; Part 2 looks at specific classroom activities. Find out more and download this for free Events Dr Catherine Walter outlines some theories and research about teaching grammar inductively and explores how this applies to classroom teaching. If you missed this British Council seminar held in London in 2010, you can watch a recording of key excerpts here. Watch the recording Magazine This blog post, 'The DoS Within', looks at the director of studies role, what it's about, who is suited to it and how it could be a great way for a teacher to gain a new perspective of the school he or she works in. It is commonly claimed that teachers are born, not made, but can the same be said of a director of studies? Why do teachers become directors of studies, how, and what makes a good DoS? These are just some of the questions this post seeks to answer. Read more You have received this newsletter because you registered on our website or previously showed interest in British Council news. If you wish to opt out of future newsletters, please unsubscribe here.

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TeachingEnglish newsletter 01 November 2017

TeachingEnglish - the global home for teachers 01 November 2017 Welcome to the TeachingEnglish newsletter. For the classroom this week we have a collection of activities for younger learners on the topic of the seasons. We also have a special lesson for teens to remember the 5th of November and the Gunpowder Plot - Bonfire Night. To help your adults and teens with vocabulary learning, we have a useful and practical article - 'Seven steps to vocabulary learning'. We also feature  an interesting and practical blog post for you this week - The Trials of a Newly Qualified Teacher. For those of you interested in digital literacies, take a look at Nicky Hockly's four-part workshop which gives a comprehensive introduction to these very important 21st-century skills. And finally, check out our free training module - 'Assessing level and CEFR' - that provides an overview of issues relating to assessing level. We hope you find these resources useful. Deb TeachingEnglish team Teaching kids 'The seasons' is a collection of activities that take a wider look at how the year is split up into distinct parts. With younger learners you may touch upon the ever-decreasing dividing line between the seasons, and how seasons differ around the world. The majority of the activities are based on TBL (task-based learning), where you give your group a problem or situation and they work together to find a solution. And, many of these activities draw from other subjects across the curriculum. Go to the activities Teaching teens This lesson is aimed at lower-level students with a variety of activities related to Bonfire Night. Students will do a jigsaw reading to complete a text about Bonfire Night; they will then discuss their own opinions about it. Students will design a Bonfire Night menu, thinking about the food they would like to eat while watching fireworks. They will learn a popular Bonfire Night rhyme and focus on pronunciation, before a final group work activity where they will produce a firework safety poster. Go to the lesson plan Teaching adults Have you ever considered why a learner (even an advanced one) can hear a difficult English word or phrase literally thousands of times and still not use that word in the way that a native speaker does? You might expect that, after having been exposed to a word in lots of contexts, a learner will gradually piece together the word's meaning and start to use it correctly, appropriately and fluently. Read 'Seven steps to vocabulary learning' to find out how you can help your learners to understand the meaning of words and use them more fluently. Go to the article Development 'Assessing level and CEFR' is a free training module that provides an overview of issues relating to assessing level. We explore why this issue might be challenging and offer a practical approach to devising assessments at a particular level. The emphasis in the materials is on practical approaches, but in line with our participants' stated needs it includes a basic introduction to theoretical perspectives. Find out more Events This workshop, with Nicky Hockly, provides an introduction to 'Digital literacies'. Nicky offers a useful insight into the different aspects of digital literacies and gives some practical tips for the classroom. The workshop was filmed at the British Council Young Learners Centre, Barcelona, in December 2012 and is divided into four parts: Information literacy, Different kinds of digital literacies, Media literacy, and Cultural and intercultural literacies Magazine 'Being in a classroom for the first time was one of the most terrifying experiences I have ever encountered. But, 20 years later, I am still alive to tell the tale, loving what I do and you will too.' Read Beki Wilson's blog post, 'The Trials of a Newly Qualified Teacher', to find out what she learned along the way, and get some useful tips about where to find help and support on your teaching journey. Read more You have received this newsletter because you registered on our website or previously showed interest in British Council news. If you wish to opt out of future newsletters, please unsubscribe here.

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